Tension
by brighterday
Summary: She had never felt completely comfortable around him. What was it about him that made anger and frustration coarse through her veins until she didn't even know what to say next? Jess/Lorelai


**Author's note: **Yes, I am coming out of the Jess/Lorelai closet, my all time favourite Gilmore Girls pairing. This is the first thing I've written in over two years. I've basically had the flu for the past two weeks and just started watching my favourite seasons of Gilmore Girls again. I got inspired, I guess. Really not sure what to make of it, I just basically tried to translate the fantasy in my head onto paper and this is what resulted. Not gonna lie, I'm very desperate for reviews, they truly make my day.

This is based on the events that occurred during the episode "Lost and Found", when Jess is summoned to clean Lorelai's rain gutters. I personally think my version is far superior, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

**Tension**

**Chapter One**

She had never felt completely comfortable around him. She couldn't even put her finger on exactly what it was. He just had this remarkable ability to make her feel nervous and uneasy. She would always adopt a certain stilted, stop-and-start tone as she spoke to him, struggling to construct proper sentences, which would inevitably leave her mouth in a rather disjointed fashion. Even hours earlier, his sudden presence in her house had brought her to a complete standstill, tensing her muscles, eliciting a tight, rather unnerving feeling in her chest.

Then again, she had just caught him breaking and entering.

"I wanted to see if she had Franny and Zooey. She does," he explained, sounded rather calm and collected for someone who had just been caught committing a criminal offence. Apprehension jolted through her as she fought to remain composed.

"I was gonna get it for her if she didn't."

"That's very nice of you," her voice quavered, her emotions gaining the upper hand. She glared at him in a way that would have made anybody else shuffle their feet anxiously and avert their gaze. Not Jess, though. That unreadable and emotionless expression he was sporting was something she found partcularly irritating. The way he always seemed so cool and composed, even when she was standing in front of him, agitated, wound up, desperately trying to get some sort of point across to him. But he would always remain completely disinterested, making her feel foolish and irrational, even when she knew she was right. And she hated feeling like that.

Indeed, there was just something about Jess that got right underneath Lorelai's skin. According to Rory, the suspicions she held in regards to Jess's bad and troublesome patterns of behaviour were entirely unjustified. And that any insolence or disrespect that he had previously displayed were no indications of the true person underneath. But she knew better. She had granted him several chances to somehow modify the impression she had of him, and he had failed miserably at every attempt. She couldn't believe that, for a few moments back there, she had fallen for his attempt to play nice, that she actually thought he was a decent kid. When it comes to people like Jess, it's important not to let their quiet and reserved nature give you the impression that they're just shy and misunderstood.

Lorelai had seen in Jess what her daughter had failed to. And it couldn't have just been her. Every single person who had come into contact with Jess had tried to make him feel welcome and adjust more easily to life in Stars Hollow. And he had alienated every single of one them, so wrapped up in his own percieved superiority and intelligence to everyone around him. Of course, she always knew he was bad news, but the act of maliciously stealing Rory's bracelet in an attempt to cause a rift between her and Dean simply confirmed her initial opinion formed. She had him cold, the evidence was there.

Lorelai skimmed the paperwork in front of her as she waited for the kettle to boil, attempting to shift her focus onto her work. She was writing quickly, occasionally stopping and impatiently tapping her pen on the table. She started to shift uncomfortably in her chair as she spotted Jess outside her kitchen window, stepping down from the ladder leading up to the roof. She rolled her eyes irritably, turning her back to him as she got up to make herself coffee. She stirred in a small amount of sugar slowly, determined to avoid looking at him as long as possible. A single thought entering her mind was suddenly enough, however, to make her muscles become tense and the teaspoon she was holding to fall right from her hands, causing her to jump slightly as the clanging sound echoed through the silent house.

_"What, are you sleeping with him or something?"_

Lorelai cringed as she remembered the words that had rendered open mouthed and unable to muster any kind of sensical response. Maybe her whole 'Luke is awesome, give Stars Hollow a chance, you have a good thing going' pep talk wasn't exactly necessary at the time, but she still couldn't possibly comprehend how he could speak to her like that.

_"You're either really naïve, or you're getting some."_

She had allowed the words to seep into her as they reverberated in her mind. Lorelai clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth in frustration, ramming the kettle roughly onto the bench surface.

She had to somehow resolve the situation. She had to do something that wasn't sitting around harbouring this resentment towards him. She had to let him to know that he wasn't getting away with anything. That he might have had Rory fooled because she's young and naïve enough to give him a chance, but she knew the game he was playing. After spotting him having packed up and being on his way, she made sure to catch up with him.

At first, she played it cool, simply granting him the money she had owed him for cleaning out her rain gutters. After receiving nothing but a feigned display of gratitude, something inside her broke. Yes, Rory had put in a request for a somewhat civil relationship between the two of them, but Rory didn't know that the one person who had caused the stress and anguish she endured this afternoon was standing right before her eyes, not a single indication of guilt on his face.

"You took it, didn't you?" The words left her mouth before she could even consider whether or not this was a smart idea. He turned around to meet her gaze; a pink tinge creeping along her cheeks as a flash of panic rushed right through her.

"Excuse me?" he said dryly.

"Rory's bracelet – you had it the whole time."

"No idea what you're talking about."

"How'd you get it?" she pressed, frustration almost radiating off her. She's glaring at him again. It'd may have been unnerving if she didn't look at him like that quite so often.

"I didn't get anything." He was adamant, failing to present Lorelai with the sign of nervousness or guilt she so desperately sought.

"What, did you break into our house, you got all dressed in black and pulled a Mission Impossible?" she retorted, her voice growing dangerously sharp.

"Actually, I came down the chimney and pulled a Santa Claus."

"Very funny." The aggravation and frustration he was so skilled at generating within her was intensifying. It felt like a hot, heavy coil deep inside her, wrapping tighter and tighter.

"Thought a ridiculous accusation deserved a ridiculous response."

"So it's just a great big ol' coincidence that I catch you coming out of Rory's room a half an hour before she mysteriously finds the bracelet under her bed?" she asked, her tone strong and domineering.

"Guess so," he said coolly, unwavering in his confidence.

"Why would you do this?" she pressed.

"I gotta go," he mumbled, his shoulders stiffening.

"I mean, I know you hate the world, but I thought you liked Rory." She fought a tone of insecurity that had started intruding into her voice.

She couldn't stop. He had an astounding ability to make her question herself, to weaken her defences, and leave her feeling uncertain and vulnerable. But she knew she was right, and she wasn't going to let this angry seventeen year old boy, who has shown her nothing but a complete lack of respect, make her feel stupid. She watching nervously as he raised his head, his eyes widening slightly with aggravation as she continued to berate him.

"I didn't do anything."

"Bull," she said, her voice curt. Another sharp wave of anger jolted through her as he looked at her like she was crazy. He was so arrogant and heartless, and just plain impossible.

"Whatever."

Lorelai was seething now. It was hard to tell whether it was the word itself that made her abandon the last sense of leniancy she had, or his continued cavalier demeanour and complete lack of care in his voice. The hot, heavy coil inside her was now as its bursting point as the temperature of the air surrounding her felt like it had increased ten fold. Without thinking, she released the anger that had been gaining momentum inside her out in little explosive bursts.

"Oh, don't whatever me, you little jerk. You let Rory run around completely panicked, thinking she lost her boyfriend's bracelet. She was miserable, do you understand that?" She could feel heat beginning to flow to her cheeks as a small, almost imperceptible smirk made its way across his lips.

"I didn't take it."

Lorelai could feel the tension descend on them like a blanket, wrapping tightly around them.

"I'm sure you're jealous of Dean because he's great and Rory's madly in love with him, but you taking the bracelet didn't hurt Dean, it hurt Rory. That bracelet is the most precious thing she owns. She never takes it off. It means everything to her. And you stealing it was unbelievably cruel."

Lorelai Gilmore might be frighteningly energetic and cheerful almost all of the time, but it had become apparent to Jess that she didn't believe in holding things back. If you did something that she didn't agree with, you were going to know about it.

"The most precious thing she owns?" he said, concealing the irritation that had already started to stir within him. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze as her breath hitched slightly.

"Yes." She could hear the slightest tremor in her voice, and fought to keep it steady.

"If it's the most precious thing she owns, why did it take her two weeks to figure out it was gone, huh?" he said venomously, raising his voice to match hers as she flinched slightly. "You might wanna reevaluate how madly in love she is. I wouldn't start calling him son yet."

Anger and frustration was coarsing through her veins like a roaring river, drowning out all other thoughts. She averted her eyes as those words burrowed into her chest, shuffling her feet.

It had certainly shut her up.

Lorelai and Jess glared at each other determinedly, neither of them quite sure what to say or do next.

"Get outta here," she mananged to stammer after a few moments, her skin feeling as though it had become a raging fire.

"You read my mind."

Lorelai swifty turned on her heels and made her way back inside, anger pulsating through her as she strained to understand how he could possibly speak to her like that. She slammed the front door behind her a little more loudly than she had intended, running her fingers through her hair with irritation, noticing the heat that was radiating from her skin. So much for trying to make a good third impression. So much for "making nice" and "seeing another side of him", which evidently was never there in the first place.

Lorelai winced as she spotted Jess's coat hanging on one of the lounge room chairs. She rolled her eyes as she opened the front door, forcefully seizing his coat from the couch as she made her way outside.

"Jess!" she yelled heatedly, holding up his coat. He let out a heavy sigh of exasperation, being only one step away from leaving her property.

"You might be needing this." Especially since you're obviously cold blooded, she thought to herself.

Jess turned slightly; the ice cold breeze that was blowing roughly against his skin compelling him to go back and retrieve it. He thrust his hands deeply into his pockets as he approached her, keeping his head bowed.

And there it was again. That tight, crushing feeling that would emerge in her chest when he was near. She could hear her breathing becoming raspier, more laboured, as she handed him his coat, fumbling apprehensively with the hem of her sleeves. Flushing scarlet, Lorelai forced herself to meet Jess's eyes, almost dreading what she might find there, prompting her to stammer backwards slightly as she bit down on her lower lip.

It had started with a smile. A small smirk that had crept onto his lips as she looked at him. A smile that had made her knees tremble beneath her as every limb in her body grew weak. A smile that made a red tinge to descend down the smooth skin of her neck, disappearing beneath the tight, black dress she had worn that day.

It was at that moment that Jess let go off his coat and walked Lorelai back towards the wall behind her until she was leaning against it. He forcefully trailed his hands along her arms as her breathing became rapid and shallow and her heart constricted in her chest. A split-second later, Jess had Lorelai caught by her wrists, roughly pinning her hands behind her, making her smile with exhiliration and apprehension, their faces mere inches apart.

All thoughts ceased the moment Lorelai felt Jess's body descend onto hers, pushing her roughly against her living room wall as his lips crushed aggressively against her own. She didn't move away. She didn't slap him, or start on him, or make excuses for him to leave. She opened her mouth wide and sank into his kiss, sending bolts of electricity through her veins as his tongue twirled with her own, expertly exploring her mouth, slowly and sensually.

Their lips parted for a moment as Jess again shot her that magnificent, rarely seen smile he had, sending her pulse racing. She could feel his breaths coming out as little intoxicating bursts against her cheek, and nothing had ever made her feel so youthful and exhilarated. She struggled to release her wrists from his tightened grip, a small giggle of both excitement and fear escaping her mouth at his dominant nature. She almost looked like she was about to speak as she clutched his shoulders, but he's pretty sure that anything she could possibly say at this point, he doesn't care to hear.

Jess captured her mouth with a long, searing kiss that Lorelai felt all the way down to her toes that time. The touch of his lips was like a series of small electric shocks on her skin, making her gasp as his tongue did wonderful, wet, demanding things to hers. For someone his age, he definitely was talented when it came to occupying her tongue, unleashing everything within her that had built up over the day. The anger and frustration that had been pulsating through her merely fuelled her need for him.

She sucked in a breath on a grin and bit at his lower lip roughly, digging her fingers into the back of his neck before taking a handful of hair in each fist. Jess straddled her hips for a few moments before slidding his hands over the small of her back and then to the curve of her ass, sending a thrill up her spine as she bit his lip more harshly, suppressing a moan of elation. She started tugging aggressively at the collar of his shirt, raw need coarsing through her veins.

As Jess began running his hands up her nylon-smooth legs, and she imagined him doing something under the hem of her dress that she thinks might be illegal in most states, the reality of the situation had hit her like a tonne of bricks.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she said breathlessly, gripping his forearms tightly. Hot air escaped in gasps from between parted lips as she shuddered at Jess's breath, warm on her check.

It was only when Jess began to kiss the right side of her neck, lightly and delicately, that she abandoned all thought entirely. He teased her at first, gently trailing a line of kisses along the length of her neck, letting the tip of his tongue sketch delicate lines on her skin. But when he started sucking the sweet, hot spot on her neck, expertly manuovering his mouth in a way she had never felt before, she almost lost the ability to stand. Eyes widened, mouth open, smiling slightly, Lorelai lost herself in the sensations this teenager was creating as he pressed hot, wet kisses into her skin, making her squirm happily beneath him.

Her palms skimmed his chest as he breathed, biting back a moan at the muscles firm and broad, at shoulders strong and wide. Her fingernails scraped lightly over Jess's skin, trailing fire in their wake, a pink flush blooming over her chest and cheeks. She rested one hand gently against his chest, swaying forward with a saucy tilt of her head, slowly and sensually brushing his lips against her own once again.

This, she thinks, _is so not happening_. Cannot _possibly _be happening.

But even as Jess buried his hands in her hair, explored her mouth with his tongue, propped her up against the living room wall, slowly running his hands down her back, all she could do was smile.

**Author's Note:** So, what did you think? Keep in mind I pretty much stayed up until three in the morning completing this, so my judgement may have been slightly impaired. You have no idea how happy reviews make me, so please let me know what you think!


End file.
